Edgewise splicer for boardlike members



Patented Apr. 27, 1954 EDGEWISE SPLICER FOR BOARDLIKE MEMBERS Manley R. Price, Lakewood, Ohio Application January 29, 1949, Serial No. 73,553

Theprimary object of the invention isto provide a simple and efiective'device for connectslabs, panels and similar board or semi- -rigid sheet members in edge-to-edge relationship in regions at which the members are otherwise unsupported as by direct attachment to substantially rigid frame elements or beams.

A further object is to provide a board or panel connector adapted to be made from two simple parts, one of which has a tongue adapted to enter a mating opening in the other part, which tongue can have its projecting end portion twisted off substantially flush with the part having the opening regardless of how far such end projects, and, when so twisted off, will operate automati cally to draw the connector parts firmly and permanently against the edge margins of the boards or panels to be connected.

The essential problem is illustrated by suspendedceiling panel or ground constructions whereon (e. g.) acoustical tile are supported by plaster board or other semi-rigid units such as may incorporate appropriate means (not shown herein) for holding suitable fasteners (e. g. screws) by means of which and suspended. In such constructions the paneling is adequately supported at the longitudinal edges of the board units as by stringer channels or beams; but where the units come together end- Commonly such board edge margins are connected by well known H-style couplers which must be made to suit particular panel thicknesses, being unadaptable to others. Those couplers incidentally have very little rigidity. The present invention enables strong and rigid end connections to be made between panels or boards of various thicknesses; and the form flshown has other advantageous features as will be explained.

The above indicates In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a bottom plan view showing portions of three panels A, B and C and elements of the present connector device in one form;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary top plan view of the connector assembly; 4

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken longitudinally of the device and crosswise of two associated further objects hereof.

panels; and

Figs. land are sectional views taken at right angles to Fig. 3, or as indicated at 4-4 and 55 on Fig. 3. r

1 Theboards or panels A, B and C may be asthe tile are attached --equidistant1y between '56 as will be evident.

3 Claims. (Cl. 20-4) May 30, 1939, The relatively adjacent end edges of the boards or panels obviously need additional supporting and aligning means regardless of the particular purpose served.

The panel edge connecter hereof comprises two elongated strips l and 2, preferably single pieces of sheet metal. The strips, as shown, are of approximately equal width and length. The strips (in the typical suspended ceiling construction illustrated) are made somewhat longer than the panels are wide. Thus, for example, each pair of endwise-adjacent panels (as A and B) I can not only be connected with each other in flush relationship but can also be accurately aligned and made flush with laterally adjacent panels (such as represented by panel C). One such extended end portion of the strip 1 as the panel C, Fig. 1, is tucked between the already secured panel B opposite end portion lies under the rigid member E and already secured panel C. Thus the strip l is supported with adequate temporary firmness.

undersides of the rigid nailing ground members such as D and E. Shallow marginal ribs 4 reinforce the strips I Without taking up critically useful vertical space, the ribs normally holding the interconnecting web portion 5 out of contact with the panels.

Trapezial shaped tongues 6 are lanced from the stock composing the strips I, being bent at right angles to the principal planes of the strips and twisted at their shank portions as at 1, Figs. 3, 4 and 5, so that the tongues are aligned in their common principal planes centrally of the supporting strips l.

The strip l of Fig. 1 is shown as having been slid behind the exposed edge margin C as far as it will go, being limited by abutment of the twisted shank portions 1 with the free edge of that panel as evident from Fig. 4 in reference to either panelA or B, whichever is assumed to have been first erected. When another panel (not shown) is attached to the groundwork, it and the panel C' are spaced apart at their adjacent end edges as are the panels A and B, Fig. 4, and the tongues 6 project with considerable stability the adjacent panel edges aligner and stiffener rib 8 along its longitudinal central axis as shown particularly by Figs. 2, 4 and 5, which rib at its base may be approximately the same width normal to the connected panel edges as the twist or shank portion 1 of the tongues G. The illustrated rib 8 stops short of each end margin of the associated strip so that the two ends (see Fig. 3) and all other margins of strip 2 lie flat against the adjacent panel portions. The rib 8 presents a downwardly facing generally V-shaped trough space it and along the apex of the rib are mutually aligned slots H which are large enough easily to receive the trapezial tongues 6 and substantially prevent them from turning in and above the slots.

The strips 2 after assembly loosely on the tongues ii are forced upwardly against the undersides of the associated panel margins either by hand or by an appropriate twist-off tool as represented in Fig. l by plier jaws P Shown as gripping one of the depending tongues 6. With the plier jaws in such typical illustrated position with respect to the various projecting tongues 6, the latter are now twisted on, e. g. successively along the strip 2 forming helical retaining heads as illustrated. at 62, Fig, 5. As the twisting is done, the opposite downwardly diverging edges of the tongues ii cam against the sides of the V-shaped groove 10 and, while distorted very forcibly draw the two strips together against the connected board or panel members (A and B in Fig. Twisting oil of the tongues, regardless of the exact position in which the plier jaws Strip 2 has an grip the tongues, always has the same effect,

namely approximately that illustrated in Fig. 5. ihe operation on each tongue takes only a fraction of a second and the retaining heads are always approximately flush with the exposed faces of the strips 2, assuming the channels H) are of proper depth and shape.

If it is desired to have the end edges of the boards or panels in relatively tight abutment they may obviously be beveled (not illustrated) to accommodate the twist shanks l and ribs 8 of the various connecter strips.

When the connect-ere are used overhead as described, it is frequently of advantage to have the strips remain of themselves temporarily in position on the tongues it. ders on the ends of the tongues as illustrated at M, Figs. 3 and 4, the strips 2 are retained against falling off, thus enabling large numbers of the strips 2 to be applied as one operation and the tongues to be later twisted off as another.

It will be evident from the above that the device is not necessarily limited to provision of a series of connecter tongues and receiving apertures on the strip or plate elements which span the margins of the board members to be connected; and that it is not necessary that the support or supports for the tongues be positioned behind such members in the course of application thereof to the framework, although such operation has special advantages as already explained. The tongues may have individual (e. g. flexible or barb-like) head portions adapted to be thrust between unsecured margins of adjacent boards and then to expand beyond the boards whereby to look against the board margins as when the tongues are pulled upon toward the exposed faces of the board members, in which case the receiving parts for the tongue can be individual pieces like washers (e. g. with channelforming ribs fitting between the board members into helical form,

By placing slight shoulto keep them from turning and to provide recess spaces for the helical, twisted-off heads).

I claim:

1. A connector for board or sheet units comprising a straight sheet metal strip having generally tra-pezial shaped portions lanced therefrom and projecting approximately at right angles thereto and twisted adjacent the strip to pro-, vide a series of tongues aligned in their principal planes parallel to the strip, and a cooperating sheet metal strip having apertured channel portions receiving the tongues and operatively mating their cross section so that the projecting portions of the tongues form helical heads when twisted oii within the channel portions, which heads, as formed, draw the plates toward each other.

2. In combination with juxtaposed edge portions or" two boards lying approximately in a common plane, a device for holding such portions in mutual alignment comprising: a sheet metal head plate at one side of said plane spanning the boards and having an approximately flat elongated tongue integral therewith projecting therefrom between the boards, a securing plate at the other side of said plane spanning the boards and having shoulders engaging the boards in a manner to prevent turning of the securing plate in its principal plane, the securing plate having an elongated opening therethrough receiving the tongue and with walls approximately mating the tongue in order to prevent turning of the received portion of the tongue about the longitudinal axis of the tongue, the exposed side of the securing plate being locally depressed adjacent the opening in relation to the principal exposed face of the securing plate whereby to form a receiving space for a helical securing head portion of the tongue such as is formed when the projecting portion of the tongue is twisted off as by pliers gripping the tongue closely adjacent said principal exposed face of the securing plate.

3. An aligner and connecter device combined with juxtaposededge margins of board or sheet members, said device comprising a head element overlying the margins of the members on one side thereof and having a ductile but frangible tongue of elongated transverse cross section extending therefrom and positioned between the edge-defining surfaces of the members and a plate having an aperture therethrough operatively mating the tongue for holding the received portion of it against turning through a substantial angle relative to the plate, and means on the apertured plate and extending between said edge-defining surfaces of the board or sheet members in a manner to hold said plate against substantial turning about the longitudinal axis of the tongue, whereby the projecting portion of the tongue may be twisted off to form a helical head forcibly engaging the apertured plate adjacent its aperture to draw the head element and plate together in clamping relation to the members.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 282,355 Neider July 31, 1883 1,277,514 Widmer Sept. 3, 1918 1,808,040 Hyatt et al June 2, 1931 1,998,366 Geyer Apr. 16, 1935 2,129,637 Atwood Sept. 13, 1938 

